Elephant West project space by Liddicoat & Goldhill opens in disused petrol station

In west London a disused petrol station has been renovated into an industrial style project space by architecture studio Liddicoat & Goldhill. Named ‘Elephant West’, the gallery is a physical manifestation of the visual culture publication Elephant.
The space is a canvas for showcasing emerging artistic talent, ‘environmental takeovers’, immersive experiences and creative programming. High ceilings in the main project space reach the height of the original petrol station and the architecture’s industrial design serves to break down the stiffness of the traditional commercial white cube gallery – the exterior is clad with a pixelated Elefant galvanised steel scaffold planking with vast industrial roller shutter door openings.
The exterior facade and entrance to Elephant West.
Remnants of the site’s original purpose have been preserved and celebrated in different ways – the petrol pumps have been sprayed white and enclosed behind four giant polycarbonate columns, while manhole covers and concrete bollards highlighted with contrasting epoxy coatings.
‘Our design exposes the latent architectural potential of a derelict, utilitarian building. It also resurrects the foundation myth of White City, which gained its name from dozens of white-painted temporary pavilion-like structures built from the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition,’ say architects Liddicoat & Goldhill.
Fuel cafe at Elephant West gallery.
‘Elephant’s tagline is “Life Through Art” and, in keeping with that, the work produced at Elephant West will resonate thematically with the concerns of the wider world rather than the narrower interests of the ‘art world’. Elephant West will turn ordinary life into cutting-edge art,’ says Robert Shore, creative director of Elephant who has spearheaded the project with Becca Pelly-Fry, head curator.
The first exhibition, ‘Dipping Sauce’, is an example of Elephant’s interactive and energetic approach. Huge photographs by west London-based Maisie Cousins show hyper-saturated macro imagery of food, insects, plants and nostalgic objects related to the experience of eating as part of a series of works that celebrate the joy and ceremony of eating, alongside which runs a programme of talks and workshops.
West London is currently experiencing a cultural renaissance, with the former BBC Television Centre redevelopment as an iconic centre piece, the RCA recently opening a White City campus and now Elephant West has jumped upon this new creative wave around White City, with its project space, Fuel café and bar, workstation hub, and shop inside it that will draw people in for many different reasons.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Liddicoat & Goldhill website
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’ is the film for our post-truth digital age
The film director draws on his own experience of grief for this techno conspiracy thriller
-
Cambridge Audio's new earbuds offer premium performance without denting your pocket
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds demonstrate just how far affordable audio tech has come in the last decade
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
A bespoke 40m mixed-media dragon is the centrepiece of Glastonbury’s new chill-out area
New for 2025 is Dragon's Tail – a space to offer some calm within Glastonbury’s late-night area with artwork by Edgar Phillips at its heart
-
Emerging artist Kasia Wozniak’s traditional photography techniques make for ethereal images
Wozniak’s photographs, taken with a 19th-century Gandolfi camera, are currently on show at Incubator, London
-
Vincent Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer are in rich and intimate dialogue at the Royal Academy of Arts
German artist Anselm Kiefer has paid tribute to Van Gogh throughout his career. When their work is viewed together, a rich relationship is revealed
-
Alice Adams, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse delve into art’s ‘uckiness’ at The Courtauld
New exhibition ‘Abstract Erotic’ (until 14 September 2025) sees artists experiment with the grotesque
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintings
The artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi Yates
London has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
-
Alexandra Metcalf creates an unsettling Victorian world in London
Alexandra Metcalf turns The Perimeter into a alternate world in exhibition, 'Gaaaaaaasp'